Letter: It is the time to vote yes for the District 86 referendum

Opposition to the Hinsdale High School District 86 referendum has claimed it is unfair, wasteful and unaffordable resulting in the demise of property values. The referendum is none of those things.

The board of education has been transparent regarding included and excluded referendum projects (at South and Central) and necessary cuts (at South and Central) should the referendum fail. The communication director routinely responds to the public’s questions and the superintendent is beginning community outreach.

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The referendum projects were identified by 140 students, parents, district staff, community members and school board members who met 90+ times and emphasized 15 focus areas while updating the master facility plan. The projects address deficiencies in academic program support, infrastructure, code compliance, and security and safety. This broad cross-section of stakeholders would not propose unfair and wasteful projects. I believe these individuals got it right.

The referendum will result in a median priced ($461,000) district home having a tax increase of $260/year — significantly less than referendums passed in 2018 in Elmhurst and Park Ridge. Legally, these funds can’t be spent on anything other than the referendum projects. $22/month is an affordable investment in our schools.

The demise of property values will start if the referendum fails. Families choose where to live. Why would a young family move to District 86 when 23 other Chicago area high schools have voters who are committed to education and their community? Numerous Realtors support the referendum noting that strong schools lead to strong housing prices.